Bowling-alley



0. BENSO & J., MERKEL.

(No Model.)

BOWLING ALLEY.

Patented July 26, 1887.

N PFrERs; Fhulciiihographer. W ashinglnn. n. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES BENSO AND JOHN MERKEL, OF MlNNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

BOWLING-ALLEY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 367,130, dated July 26, 1887.

Application filed October 8, 1886. Serial No. 215,661. (No model.)

the construction and combination hereinafter described, and particularly pointed out inthe cl aims.

In the drawings which form a part of this specification, Figurel is a plan view of a bowling-alley which embodies our improvement. Fig. 2 is a plan view, enlarged, of the ball-propelling device. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section of the same on line 00 m, Fig. 2; and Fig. 4.

.is a cross-section of the same, taken on line 3/ 3 Fig. 2.

2 represents the platform or floor of the alley, at one end of which the ten pins are placed. At the opposite end the ball-projecting device is located. This consists of a bed-plate, 3, which is attached tothe alley by apin or pivot, 5, located at or near the center and upon the under side of the bed-plate 3, and. to which it is permanently attached. A socket, 7, is se cured to the alley and receives the pin 5,which may be held in place by means ofa washer and nut attached to the screw-threaded end of the said pin. In the rear of the pin 5 and socket 7, and also attached to the floor of the'alley, we place a flanged nut, 9,whose interior opening is screw-threaded andreceives the bolt or set-screw 10, which passes through the slotted opening 11in the bed-plate, and is provided with a head, 12, which bears upon the said.

bed-plate as the screw is turned,and clamps it in any desired position. A pin or handle, 13,

is preferably attached to the head for convenplunger 15 is provided with lugs or project-ious 19,-which engage springs 20, located in the hanger 16, which act as cushions and re lieve the shock as the plunger is operated. The plunger may be provided with a suitable The rib or projection, 21, that may fit into a suitable recess in one of the hangers, for the purpose of preventing the plunger from turningv on its axis. i

23 is a standard which forms the abutment for the actuating-spring 25, which extends into the plunger and forms a bearing upon it near its outer extremity, as shown in Fig. 3. A pin, 22, maybe attached to the standard 23, and extend into the spring to hold the outer end of said spring in place upon the standard.

27 is a lever which extends over the top of the plunger, and is attached to the bed-plate by means'of a spring-fulcrum, 28. This springfulcrum consists, preferably, of a central hub, 29, to which the lever 27 is secured. This hub is attached to a central shaft, 30, which forms a bearing in a suitable casing attached to the bed-plate. Located in this casing is a volute spring, 31, one end of which is attached to the casing, and the other end to the shaft 30. The tension of the spring is exerted upon the shaft to revolve it'and throw the lever 27 forward to the position shown in Fig. 1 and in dotted lines in Fig. 2.

A post, 33, may be placed upon the under side of the lever 27, with a roller, 34, upon its lower extremity, which travels upon the bedplate and supports the weight of the lever and prevents it from resting upon or coming in contact with the plunger 15. We prefer to place a roller, 34., upon the top of the plunger, the axis of which is seen red to the said plunger, against which the lever 27 comes in contact and retracts the plunger. A lug or projection upon the plunger may serve the same purpose; but the friction upon the lever will ,be obviated by the use of the roll.

37 represents an inclined projection orlatch upon the plunger at or nearits rear extremity, which is arranged to operate and interlock with a spring-catch, 39. The catch is thrown out of contact with the projection 39 by means of the lever 40, suitably fulcrumed upon the catch-support. The outer end of this lever may be provided with a rod, 41, terminating in a button, 42, by which the lever may be op erated when the device is inclosed, as may sometimes be considered advisable.

The operation is as follows: The lever 27 is drawn. back and in its movement comes in contact with the roll 35 upon the plunger 15. The

of the way, and will not interfere with the further operation of the plunger. The ball may now be placed in position and the bed-plate may be turned so as to aim the device at any desired point in the alley. XVhen this is done, the set-screw may be operated by turning the handle 13,and the bed-plate seeu red in the desired position. The lever 10 is now operated by pressing the button 42. This throws out the spring-catch 39 and releases the plunger,whieh is forced forward by the action of the spring 25, and the ball is projected down the alley by the force of the said spring and in the direction previously determined. \Vhen the plunger has exerted its force upon the ball and has nearly reached the end of its stroke, the lugs 19 upon its sides come in contact with thesprings 20 located in the hangers 16. These springs receive the force of the concussion and are compressed, and thus relieve the hanger of for holding said plunger in a retracted posi-- tion, all substantially as described.

2. The combination, with the spring-actuated plunger 15, having the lugs 1.), of the standard 16, having the cushion-springs 20, the spring-catch, and the retracting-lever 27, all substantially as described.

3. The combination, with the spring actu ated plunger, of the pivoted lever 27, provided with the spring 31, substantially as described, and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands this 29111 day of September, 1886.

CHARLES BENSO. JOHN MERKEL.

In presence of- R. II. SANFORD, A. M. GASKELL. 

